scholarly journals Application of Least Squares with Conditional Equations Method for Railway Track Inventory Using GNSS Observations

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (17) ◽  
pp. 4948
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Czaplewski ◽  
Zbigniew Wisniewski ◽  
Cezary Specht ◽  
Andrzej Wilk ◽  
Wladyslaw Koc ◽  
...  

Satellite geodetic networks are commonly used in surveying tasks, but they can also be used in mobile surveys. Mobile satellite surveys can be used for trackage inventory, diagnostics and design. The combination of modern technological solutions with the adaptation of research methods known in other fields of science offers an opportunity to acquire highly accurate solutions for railway track inventory. This article presents the effects of work carried out using a mobile surveying platform on which Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers were mounted. The satellite observations (surveys) obtained were aligned using one of the methods known from classical land surveying. The records obtained during the surveying campaign on a 246th km railway track section were subjected to alignment. This article provides a description of the surveying campaign necessary to obtain measurement data and a theoretical description of the method employed to align observation results as well as their visualisation.

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
Omar Ali Ibrahim

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is considered to be one of the most crucial tools for different applications, i.e. transportation, geographic information systems, mobile satellite communications, and others. Without a doubt, the GNSS has been widely employed for different scientific applications, such as land surveying, mapping, and precise monitoring for huge structures, etc. Thus, an intense competitive has appeared between companies which produce geodetic GNSS hardware devices to meet all the requirements of GNSS communities. This study aims to assess the performance of different GNSS receivers to provide reliable positions. In this study, three different receivers, which are produced by different manufacturers, were fixed to form a triangle. Simultaneous observations were made in static mode (2.5 to 3 hours). This observation technique was carried out three times by changing the location of receivers in each time to ensure that three receivers observed each station three times. To evaluate the performance of each receiver, OPUS web-based processing software and TOPCON TOOLS were used to process the raw GNSS observations. The distances between adjacent stations were computed for each observation and compared to standard distances, which were measured using a total station. Furthermore, the internal angles were also computed and compared to those measured by Total Stations. The results showed that some calculated distances are closer to the corresponding distances measured by the total station. This indicates that the receivers involved in the composition of these distances are the most accurate.  


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (20) ◽  
pp. 4347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wladyslaw Koc ◽  
Cezary Specht ◽  
Jacek Szmaglinski ◽  
Piotr Chrostowski

At present, the problem of rail routes reconstruction in a global reference system is increasingly important. This issue is called Absolute Track Geometry, and its essence is the determination of the axis of railway tracks in the form of Cartesian coordinates of a global or local coordinate system. To obtain such a representation of the track centerline, the measurement methods are developed in many countries mostly by the using global navigation satellite system (GNSS) techniques. The accuracy of this type of measurement in favorable conditions reaches one centimeter. However, some specific conditions cause the additional supporting measurements with a use of such instruments as tachymetry, odometers, or accelerometers to be needed. One of the common issues of track axis reconstruction is transforming the measured GNSS antenna coordinates to the target position, i.e., to the place between rails on the level of rail heads. The authors in their previous works described the developed methodology, while this article presents a method of determining the correction of horizontal coordinates for measurements in arc sections of the railway track. The presence of a cant causes the antenna’s center to move away from the track axis, and for this reason, the results must be corrected. This article presents a method of calculation of mentioned corrections for positions obtained from mobile satellite surveying with additional inertial measurement. The algorithm presented in the article and its implementation have been illustrated on an example of a complex geometric layout, where cant transitions exist without transition curves in horizontal plane. Such a layout is not preferable due to the additional accelerations and their changes. However, it allows the verification of the presented methods.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caneren Gul ◽  
Taylan Ocalan ◽  
Nursu Tunalioglu

<p>Today, traditional Precise Point Positioning (PPP) method with high-cost geodetic grade Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers has been used commonly for surveying, navigation, geodesy, geophysics and other engineering applications where dm-cm level accuracy is required. On the other hand, while smartphones have created a growing economic market in the world, they serve positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services in varying accuracy levels to the users besides many other facilities. One of the most significant components of the smartphones involving multi-sensors for outdoor point-positioning and navigation is the embedded GNSS chipset. Especially, the world’s first dual-frequency GNSS smartphone produced by Xiaomi in May 2018, so-called Xiaomi Mi 8, brings a new aspect to PNT applications. In this study, a smartphone with dual-frequency embedded GNSS chipset was used to analyze the performance of PPP-Ambiguity Resolution (PPP-AR) method in engineering surveys. With respect to study aim, simultaneous static GNSS observations gathered with a geodetic grade GNSS receiver and a smartphone were conducted within a test setup. The static GNSS observations were repeated for 3 days and the campaign duration was 2 hours per day at the same daily time interval. All the raw GNSS observations were converted into Receiver Independent Exchange Format (RINEX) and processed by the relative point positioning method as a reference solution initially. Later, all observations were processed by the PPP-AR method. A widely used online post-processing GNSS service, namely CSRS-PPP, which was updated in August 2018 (GPSPACE to SPARK) were employed for PPP-AR solutions. As a conclusion, we analyze the performance of the embedded dual frequency GNSS chipset and assess the feasibility of them in different engineering surveys.</p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong> Smartphone Positioning, PPP-AR, Embedded GNSS Chipset, Dual-frequency, Engineering Surveys</p>


Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (18) ◽  
pp. 5018
Author(s):  
Andrzej Wilk ◽  
Wladyslaw Koc ◽  
Cezary Specht ◽  
Slawomir Judek ◽  
Krzysztof Karwowski ◽  
...  

The article discusses an important issue in connection with the technique of mobile Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements of railway track coordinates, which is digital filtering performed to precisely determine railway track axes. For this purpose, a measuring technique is proposed which bases on the use of a measuring platform with a number of appropriately distributed GNSS receivers, where two of them determine the directional base vector of the platform. The receivers used in the research had high measuring frequency in the Real Time Kinematic (RTK) operating mode and enabled correction of the obtained results in post–processing. A key problem discussed in the article is the method for assessing the quality of the measurement results obtained from GNSS receivers, and their preparation for further processing making use of geometrically constrained parameters of the base vector and specialized digital filtering, among other elements, to precisely determining the track axis. The obtained results confirm the applicability of the used method of GNSS signal processing.


Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (16) ◽  
pp. 4408
Author(s):  
Andrzej Wilk ◽  
Cezary Specht ◽  
Wladyslaw Koc ◽  
Krzysztof Karwowski ◽  
Jacek Skibicki ◽  
...  

We present the main assumptions about the algorithmization of the analysis of measurement data recorded in mobile satellite measurements. The research team from the Gdańsk University of Technology and the Maritime University in Gdynia, as part of a research project conducted in cooperation with PKP PLK (Polish Railway Infrastructure Manager), developed algorithms supporting the identification and assessment of track axis layout. This article presents selected issues concerning the identification of a tramway line’s axis system. For this purpose, the supporting algorithm was developed and measurement data recorded using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) techniques was evaluated and analyzed. The discussed algorithm identifies main track directions from multi-device data and repeated position recordings. In order to observe the influence of crucial factors, the investigated route was carefully selected. The chosen tramway track was characterized by its location in various field conditions and a diversified and complex geometric layout. The analysis of the obtained results was focused on the assessment of the signal’s dispersion and repeatability using residuals in relation to the estimated track’s direction. The presented methodology is intended to support railway infrastructure management processes, mainly in planning and maintenance through an efficient inventory of the infrastructure in service.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
YuXiang Peng ◽  
Wayne A Scales ◽  
Michael D Hartinger ◽  
Zhonghua Xu ◽  
Shane Coyle

AbstractIonospheric irregularities can adversely affect the performance of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). However, this opens the possibility of using GNSS as an effective ionospheric remote sensing tool. Despite ionospheric monitoring has been undertaken for decades, these irregularities in multiple spatial and temporal scales are still not fully understood. This paper reviews Virginia Tech’s recent studies on multi-scale ionospheric irregularities using ground-based and space-based GNSS observations. First, the relevant background of ionospheric irregularities and their impact on GNSS signals is reviewed. Next, three topics of ground-based observations of ionospheric irregularities for which GNSS and other ground-based techniques are used simultaneously are reviewed. Both passive and active measurements in high-latitude regions are covered. Modelling and observations in mid-latitude regions are considered as well. Emphasis is placed on the increased capability of assessing the multi-scale nature of ionospheric irregularities using other traditional techniques (e.g., radar, magnetometer, high frequency receivers) as well as GNSS observations (e.g., Total-Electron-Content or TEC, scintillation). Besides ground-based observations, recent advances in GNSS space-based ionospheric measurements are briefly reviewed. Finally, a new space-based ionospheric observation technique using GNSS-based spacecraft formation flying and a differential TEC method is demonstrated using the newly developed Virginia Tech Formation Flying Testbed (VTFFTB). Based on multi-constellation multi-band GNSS, the VTFFTB has been developed into a hardware-in-the-loop simulation testbed with external high-fidelity global ionospheric model(s) for 3-satellite formation flying, which can potentially be used for new multi-scale ionospheric measurement mission design.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2032
Author(s):  
Junchan Lee ◽  
Sunil Bisnath ◽  
Regina S.K. Lee ◽  
Narin Gavili Kilane

This paper describes a computation method for obtaining dielectric constant using Global Navigation Satellite System reflectometry (GNSS-R) products. Dielectric constant is a crucial component in the soil moisture retrieval process using reflected GNSS signals. The reflectivity for circular polarized signals is combined with the dielectric constant equation that is used for radiometer observations. Data from the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) mission, an eight-nanosatellite constellation for GNSS-R, are used for computing dielectric constant. Data from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission are used to measure the soil moisture through its radiometer, and they are considered as a reference to confirm the accuracy of the new dielectric constant calculation method. The analyzed locations have been chosen that correspond to sites used for the calibration and validation of the SMAP soil moisture product using in-situ measurement data. The retrieved results, especially in the case of a specular point around Yanco, Australia, show that the estimated results track closely to the soil moisture results, and the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) in the estimated dielectric constant is approximately 5.73. Similar results can be obtained when the specular point is located near the Texas Soil Moisture Network (TxSON), USA. These results indicate that the analysis procedure is well-defined, and it lays the foundation for obtaining quantitative soil moisture content using the GNSS reflectometry results. Future work will include applying the computation product to determine the characteristics that will allow for the separation of coherent and incoherent signals in delay Doppler maps, as well as to develop local soil moisture models.


Author(s):  
M. O. Ehigiator ◽  
S. O. Oladosu

With the use of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology, it is now possible to determine the position of points in 3D coordinates systems. Lagos datum is the most common Mean Sea Level used in most parts of Nigeria. In Niger Delta, for instance Warri and its environs, the most commonly used datum for height determination is the Mean Lower Low Water Datum. It then becomes necessary to determine a constant factor for conversion between the two datum when the need arises as both are often encountered during Geomatics Engineering field operations. In this paper, the constant to be applied in converting between both datum was determined. The constant was found to be 17.79m. The horizontal and vertical accuracy standard was also determined as well as the stack maps.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang-Yi Sun

AbstractBoth solar activities from above and perturbations of Earth’s surface and troposphere from below disturb ionospheric structure and its dynamics. Numerous ionospheric phenomena remain unexplained due to the complicated nature of the solar–terrestrial environment. We do appreciate the ground- and space-based Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) techniques being around and providing global observations with high resolutions to help us to resolve unexplained phenomena. This paper summarizes recent studies of the effect of solar (geomagnetic storm and total solar eclipse), tropospheric (typhoon, walker circulation, and El Niño-Southern Oscillation), and earthquake/tsunami activities (2010 Chile, 2011 Tohoku, and 2015 Nepal earthquakes) on the ionosphere utilizing the global ground- and space-based GNSS observations.


Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 2280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sören Vogel ◽  
Hamza Alkhatib ◽  
Johannes Bureick ◽  
Rozhin Moftizadeh ◽  
Ingo Neumann

Georeferencing is an indispensable necessity regarding operating with kinematic multi-sensor systems (MSS) in various indoor and outdoor areas. Information from object space combined with various types of prior information (e.g., geometrical constraints) are beneficial especially in challenging environments where common solutions for pose estimation (e.g., global navigation satellite system or external tracking by a total station) are inapplicable, unreliable or inaccurate. Consequently, an iterated extended Kalman filter is used and a general georeferencing approach by means of recursive state estimation is introduced. This approach is open to several types of observation inputs and can deal with (non)linear systems and measurement models. The capability of using both explicit and implicit formulations of the relation between states and observations, and the consideration of (non)linear equality and inequality state constraints is a special feature. The framework presented is evaluated by an indoor kinematic MSS based on a terrestrial laser scanner. The focus here is on the impact of several different combinations of applied state constraints and the dependencies of two classes of inertial measurement units (IMU). The results presented are based on real measurement data combined with simulated IMU measurements.


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